Dipodal ferrocene-based adsorbate molecules for self-assembled monolayers on gold

Area of Science:

• Organometallic Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Ferrocene derivatives offer versatile functional groups for surface modification.
• Chemisorption on gold substrates is crucial for developing advanced thin films.
• Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) require specific adsorbate species for optimal film quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and investigate 1,1'-difunctionalised ferrocene derivatives for gold surface chemisorption.
• To fabricate and characterize thin films using various ferrocene-based adsorbate species.
• To evaluate the quality of self-assembled monolayers formed on gold substrates.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of novel ferrocene derivatives.
• Fabrication of thin films on gold substrates from solution.
• Analysis of film properties using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy.
• Investigation of molecular coordination chemistry and crystal structure analysis.

Main Results:

• Thin films were successfully fabricated on gold using various ferrocene derivatives.
• 1,1'-Diisocyanoferrocene and 1,1'-diisothiocyanatoferrocene yielded superior self-assembled monolayers compared to other derivatives.
• The crystal structure of a gold complex with 1,1'-diisocyanoferrocene revealed insights into molecular arrangement in SAMs.

Conclusions:

• 1,1'-Diisocyanoferrocene and 1,1'-diisothiocyanatoferrocene are highly effective for creating high-quality self-assembled monolayers on gold.
• The study provides a molecular model for understanding ferrocene derivative arrangement in SAMs on gold.
• These findings advance the development of functional organometallic thin films for surface applications.